Religious Nationalism
Religious nationalism defines the nation through a religious identity and seeks to make that identity central to the state. It usually works through elections, drawing on majority support, while restricting minorities and secular opposition.
- The nation is defined by its majority religion.
- The state should promote and protect that religion in law and public life.
- Democratic majorities are entitled to shape the state according to their faith.
Religious nationalism has many forms. Scholars apply the term to movements such as Hindu nationalism (Hindutva), political Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, and religious-national parties in Israel, Turkey and Eastern Europe. Political scientists such as Mark Juergensmeyer and Rogers Brubaker have analysed it as a response to secular nation-building.
Critics argue that it turns religious minorities into second-class citizens and erodes secular institutions and civil liberties. Some religious thinkers object that it subordinates faith to politics.
Countries and historical regimes whose 12-axis profile is closer to Religious Nationalism than to any other ideology in the test.
Religious Nationalism is also the second-closest ideology for: Turkey, Georgia, Apartheid South Africa, Meiji Japan, El Salvador, Qatar, South Korea, Ukraine, Roman Empire.
Method: each ideology is placed at a typical position on the 12 axes, scored from 0 to 100 toward the first pole. Ranks compare it with the other 45 ideologies; matches are 100 minus the average distance across all axes. The positions are our own calibration, not taken from any third-party source.